Question for hollow-base casters.

[River City John]

I have never cast but I am beginning to think that the only way I'm going to get the most accurate, and historically accurate, is to cast my own slugs for my Vetterli.

Is it feasible to successfully size down a hollow-base slug through a sizing die without distortion of the hollow? I can find .430 sizing die but closest commercially available HB moulds seem to be in .45 or so.

I'm not quite ready to go the custom mould route yet.

Any pointers or suggestions would be much appreciated.

RCJ

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

NEI handtools show a Vetterli bullet, about page 9

http://www.neihandtools.com/index.html

[rickk]

It is not practical, with normal equipment anyway, to size a .45 caliber bullet (.451 - .457 range) down to .430.

Even going down from .457 to .451 is sometimes a challenge with some sizers.

[River City John]

Thanks to you both.
rickk, that was my hunch. Too much force required that would lead to distortion.

Sir Charles you are a gentleman and scholar.
Key concern will be dimensions from heel inset lip to nose. As you may know the Vetterli is o.a. cartridge length sensitive. The lifter could hang up if either following rim of the next round in the tube enters lifter or bullet nose of the round in the lifter too long.
2.2 inches is the magic number.

RCJ 

[rickk]

more like "too much force will break your sizing equipment".

If you did size it, you would have basically a slightly round nosed full wad cutter when you were done, but I cant imagine sizing it in anything normally used to size bullets.

[pony express]

You might ask Bernie at oldwestmoulds if he has a mould for it. Cost would be a bit more than the usual Lyman-RCBS etc, probably somewhere around $90-100.

From what I've read about them, while the OAL is very sensitive, the chamber dimesions can be pretty generous, others have reported good results by trimming the cases a bit longer so that the available bullets can come out at the right OAL.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

RCJ;  If you can open up the image of the bullet I believe measurements can be taken from the image.  I do think that a call to NEI might get you some advice on which of their bullets might suit you best.  They have quite a few to select from, at least one should suit

[sail32]

There is a lot of reloading information on moulds, etc. for the Vetterli in the Swiss Rifle forum in the Vetterli and reloading sections.

[River City John]

sail 32,
already digested the Swiss Vetterli site. Learned a lot.
I have been shooting my Vetterlis (Sigh!, seem to have acquired a pair) for the past year and even shot Long Range at the NCOWS National this past spring. 14 out of 30 at 260yds., 185 yds. and 110 yds., - which I was tickled pink about. But I wanted to come up with a HB slug to get closer to the historical loading.

I have a love affair with the rifle, and even have a Nebraska literary documentation in that Jules Sandoz was known to shoot and import some Vetterli's to the Sand Hills in the western part of my state in the latter 19th cent.

In two days I am traveling to the plains of Kansas to compete in the Grand Army of the Frontier Grand Muster. I will be shooting my second Vetterli and found a correct bayonet to fill out my accoutrements as a militiaman.

pony express,
my older model, manufactured in early 1870's, has the generous chamber dimensions and the ported breech to accommodate loose seal. My other Vetterli is a later model, produced March, 1878, unported, with tighter tolerances. I am looking to cast HB for that one. The overall condition is about three grades better than my first example.

RCJ

[Cactus Rope]

RJC

Make your own. There is a article in August/ September issue of Handloader magazine about this and making your own hollow point bullets.

See ya at the muster.

Bob Little, aka Cactus Rope

[River City John]

Bob,
if you have that article bring it along to the Muster. I'll give it a read.
RCJ

[Delmonico]

Cool site, I think I found my Christmas present, not Cowboy type but that 45 Gr FNGC needs to be on my bench, would put my squirrel rifle project back on track.